I Heart Design

no. 14

SELECTED BYARNOLD SCHWARTZMANTHE SAVOY COCKTAIL BOOKILLUSTRATED BYGILBERT ROMBOLD

As a born and bred Londoner, I cherish two beloved indigenous graphic objects. The first is The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock. Craddock had been a cocktail barman in New York, but had left for London during Prohibition and set up shop at the American Bar in London’s swank Savoy Hotel. His book, first printed in 1930 and illustrated by Gilbert Rumbold, is recognized today as an icon of Art Deco publishing. My copy was given to me by my father—he had acquired it during his days as a waiter at the Savoy Hotel—and I believe this elegant tome was my first exposure to the world of graphics. In fact, Rumbold’s illustrations still bear outlined impressions ...